How Airbnb Hosts Should Deal With Bad Reviews

Renting space on Airbnb can be thrilling, fun, and financially lucrative. It can also be downright stressful when it comes to reviews. This isn't just because a guest who leaves a bad review can reduce your rental income, but also because the whole thing can feel personal; especially if the criticism is directed at you as a host, and not your home or location.

As a longtime Airbnb host who has rented homes both big and almost comically small (and spent years speaking to countless others in the game), I find that even the best hosts with the best spots are likely to deal with a bad review now and then. Thankfully, there are a few things hosts can do to reduce the impact of bad reviews, while still playing by the rules.

A shot from the Airbnb Open conference

Seth Porges

Wait It Out

While bad reviews can come out of nowhere, I find that it's usually pretty easy to predict who is going to leave them. That super-happy guest who wrote you a note about how lovely your house is and how happy they are to be there? Probably not going to leave a bad review. The nit-picky traveler who seemed surprised by quirks that were clearly outlined in your listing? Well, you can guess where that one is going.

Thankfully, Airbnb doesn't automatically publish reviews immediately, but rather waits for both the guest and host to submit theirs before publishing both simultaneously. The site gives you two weeks to write your side of the story, at which point things go live whether you submit a review or not.

The reason for this double-blind system is to keep reviews impartial, and to prevent either party from writing a retaliatory review because they themselves were dinged. But a side effect of it is that it gives you as a host (or guest) the ability to pause a potentially negative review for up to two weeks. This is actually a pretty big deal, as Airbnb reviews are published in the order in which the stays occurred, and not in the order the reviews go live. If you can accumulate a few positive reviews in those few weeks, the negative one will be below them from the moment it goes live, and could already seem like old news.

Reply All? More Like Reply Some

Airbnb gives hosts the ability to publicly respond to reviews by posting a short note that can be used to explain their side of the story. This is a useful tool under some circumstances, but I find it can also draw extra attention to a review you'd just as soon disappear, and sometimes even show the worst of hosts who overreact to routine criticism.

I find that the best use of public review responses is to respond to reviews that cite shortcomings that have since been fixed. Maybe your air-conditioning had issues during their stay, or the coffee machine broke. This is a great place to say that future guests need not fear these issues, as you're on top of things and have already taken care of them.

If you do choose to respond to reviews, it is best to keep your response short and stoic. The best you can do is come off as the adult in the room, and clearly explain your side and how the issue was either a fluke or since been remedied. In some cases, a judicious use of humor can also show you are a flexible person who owns your shortcomings—especially if the guest is coming off as unreasonable and nit-picky. For example, if a guest complains about something that is clearly outlined in the listing (perhaps they didn't read the full and notice that your building has no elevator), it can be helpful to point out that "I'm surprised to read this, as I clearly mention it in my listing and make sure that all my guests are aware of it. Most guests appreciate the free gym!" No matter what, don't criticize or name-call the guest. No matter how unreasonable they are, you will come off looking petty and scare off potential guests. Once again, the goal is to show that you are the adult in the room.

Contest Reviews That Break The Rules

It is nearly impossible to get Airbnb to remove a bad review just because you don't like it. And rightfully so: The site's utility depends on users having faith in the process. That being said, there are rare occasions in which the site may remove a review, and being aware of these circumstances can allow you to respond in the rare event that they do pop up.

First and foremost, if somebody using the review platform to extort a user by using the threat of a bad review in any untoward way, that's a definite no-no. As outlined on the Airbnb site, the following circumstances constitute review extortion, and could be grounds for the review to be removed. Quote, the site:

Guests threatening to use reviews or ratings in an attempt to force a host to provide refunds, additional compensation, or a reciprocal positive review.

Hosts requiring a guest to leave a positive review or rating, or to revise a review in exchange for a partial or full refund, or reciprocal review. Hosts also can’t offer a free or discounted stay in exchange for a guest revising an existing review.

Hosts asking a guest to take specific actions related to a review in exchange for a resolution to a dispute between the parties.

The site also mentions other violations of its "content policy" that reviews could potentially violate; including the following:

Reviews that do not represent the author’s personal experience or that of their travel companions

Reviews incentivized by a promise for payment, additional services, or a discounted rate

Reviews motivated by a threat of extortion/

Speaking to hosts, I've found that it is very difficult to prove that a guest review violates one of these guidelines. Still, if you feel strongly that one does, you should contact Airbnb and plead your case. Just don't be surprised if it doesn't make much of a difference.